Concussion expert: Dolphins' Tua Tagovailoa 'completely misled' about CTE
At least one concussion expert believes Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa received poor advice regarding his long-term health.
As shared by Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, Dr. Chris Nowinski, co-founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, tweeted earlier this week that Tagovailoa "is being completely misled" as it pertains to concerns related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy, commonly known as "CTE."
Specifically, Nowinski was referring to Tagovailoa acknowledging on Wednesday that he considered retirement after his second reported concussion this past NFL season.
"They also told me that CTE wasn’t going to be a problem," Tagovailoa said about discussions he had with neurologists and specialists. "It’s only when you’re constantly hitting your head against something."
After Tagovailoa entered the concussion protocol following a Christmas Day game and for the second time since September, Dr. Nowinski tweeted that the Dolphins needed to protect the quarterback from himself and sit him through the remainder of the season. Tagovailoa ultimately remained in the protocol for more than a month.
Following Tagovailoa's comments on Wednesday, Nowinski tweeted:
In his piece posted on Friday, Habib mentioned how former Dolphins quarterback Earl Morrall was diagnosed with CTE following his death in 2014. Retired signal-caller Jay Cutler has said he believes he suffered "double-digit" concussions during his career and is already dealing with setbacks related to those head injuries.
"Quarterbacks also get CTE," Habib warned Tagovailoa.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban once had Tagovailoa as his quarterback and admitted last month he had concerns about the 25-year-old and didn't want to see him "put himself at risk." While the Dolphins picked up Tagovailoa's fifth-year option that keeps his rights attached to the club through the 2024 season, Miami general manager Chris Grier made it clear this week that he isn't rushing to sign the 2020 first-round draft pick to an expensive long-term extension anytime soon.
It's thought that retired quarterback Tom Brady declined to slam the door shut on possibly joining the Dolphins later this year while speaking at an event on Thursday just in case Tagovailoa is again sidelined because of a head injury at some point. Nowinski and individuals such as ESPN's Stephen A. Smith understandably are worried this spring about Tagovailoa for reasons that have little to do with his on-the-field career.
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